MMA Referee & Judges Seminar by Marc Goddard.

Level 1 MMA Referee & Judges course and workshop seminar. This course is designed to give both the novice and experienced referee/judge both an introduction and detailed training and application to the ever increasing sport of MMA.

Marc Goddard has been involved in the UK MMA scene in one form or another over the last 10 years, his involvement in the Martial Arts much longer still. A former MMA & Submission Grappling competitor Marc then moved into the officiating side of the sport. Calling upon his years of direct experience and his passion for the sport of MMA, this coupled with Marc's unparalleled attention to detail quickly led for Marc to become the referee of choice for many of the UK's leading domestic promotions.

Cage Warriors, Cage Gladiators, OMMAC, BAMMA, Ultimate Force, House of Pain, FX3, Knuckle Up and the newly formed Kudegra are just some of the promotions that enlisted Marc for his services within their organisations. Marc established himself and gained the respect of his peers for his no-nonsense and directly strict but fair approach, his authority and years of experience settled many along with his willingness for his consultative approach to his work.

Marc then became the first ever UK Referee to be appointed for the UFC and quickly followed this up by being the first ever UK MMA Referee to be licensed and sanctioned to Referee in the USA. Marc has since travelled through Europe and further a field taking in Ireland, Germany, Abu Dhabi and the USA culminating again in another first when he became the first ever UK official to referee a UFC Main Event bout in November of 2009.

Some words of note from some well-known names of the UK MMA scene:

“I have had the honour to work along side Marc Goddard on numerous MMA events, too many to keep count to be honest. Marc and I go back many years and became good friends through the world of MMA.

I have been lucky enough to see Marc grow from a keen MMA referee at the beginning of his career to a World-class referee that he is today. Working with Marc and knowing he is the official in charge of the action, gives you a sense of security and you know that no one will seriously get hurt in the octagon.

Marc always comes across as firm, fair and in control. This I feel, also makes the fighters feel much more at ease when they know they have one of the best referee's in the World looking after their fight. I for one could not name a higher-class referee than Marc Goddard. Outstanding.”

-Ian “the machine” Freeman. UK MMA Pioneer.

” Marc Goddard is best characterised by his no nonsense approach to MMA officiating. A former pro fighter with a long and respectable grappling background; Goddard has been the Head official for Cage Warriors since July 2005 and has commanded respect from fellow pros, journalists and event staff from the very start. Over the years his unrivalled knowledge of the many intricacies of the game have prevented many controversial incidents from occurring and has given the CWFC team support on many levels ranging from medical cover, backstage procedures as well as professional officiating inside and outside the cage.

Marc ensures that a show is run professionally from the start of the weigh-ins until the final bell and has shown on numerous occasions that he will not shirk from making big decisions whether they are in amateur bouts or World Title fights.

As a result it did not surprise the CWFC team when Marc was called up to be the first ever UK referee to officiate in the UFC in the UK, Europe and the World and was also the first ever UK referee to be licensed to officiate in the United States. We feel he is an indispensable part of our team.”

-Ian Dean. Cage Warriors Fighting Championships / Warrior Promotions.

“Marc Goddard has been my no.1 referee since 2007. He has taken charge shows I have promoted including Cage Gladiators and OMMAC. Marc takes control of that side of the event- conducting a thorough rules meeting with all fighters at which he stamps his authority with the fighters as well as giving them the assurance that they are in very good hands.

In my opinion he is the best referee in World MMA, the best on the UFC payroll. In such a technical and tough combat sport it is imperative fighter safety is paramount and having a referee with so much experience has helped the stature of my organisations grow.

Marc’s wealth of experience as a fighter and coach gives him a deep understanding of the MMA game and this knowledge and style of refereeing should be passed on to ensure standards are maintained in the future.”

-Chris Zorba. Promoter OMMAC / Cage Gladiators.

“Marc’s reputation as a referee is second to none and he is known around the World for his fair and thorough officiating. He's a former competitor, so as a referee has an amazing insight into what his charges are going through. When you couple that with his attention to detail, extensive knowledge and vast experience, you've got a World-class referee on your hands.”

- Hywel Teague. Editor Fighters Only Magazine [former]

“Having been refereed by Mr Goddard several times, I always feel confident when he is the third man in the cage. I know he will be fair and professional and always have the fighter’s safety as his priority. He is without a doubt one of the leading officials in the sport and sets a fine example for others pursuing a career in the business. If all referee's were of his calibre, the sport would take a step forward in professionalism and safety.”

- Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy. UFC Welterweight Title Contender

"I have known Marc Goddard for a number of years as an avid competitor and a work colleague in an industry that friendships and professional working relationships are a key to the development of any product. He has carried his professionalism and discipline through his competitor years, right up to his working attitude today.

Marc's knowledge surrounding the inner workings of the sport of MMA, has helped us on our EFNSports Events and on BAMMA. An integral part to our team and anyone who has any dealings with him, his knowledge base as to the refereeing practices and the inner workings of the behind the scenes of many MMA shows is invaluable."

-Unified rules of MMA and their application
-Referee's role and responsibilities
-Fighters & Corners conduct
-Promoter’s role and responsibilities
-In fight and fight ending scenarios and how to deal with them

Lunch break 12.00 - 13.00

Judges 13.00 - 14.30

-The 10 point must system - understanding and its application to MMA
-Scoring criteria
-Common misconceptions
-Types of decisions and there application

Multiple choice test and Q&A 14.30 - 16.00

The course content is designed to give a thorough overview of the unified rule set and its application to MMA today, this taking in both aspects of Referee's and Judges.

The course will be supplemented with personal handouts to be kept by all participants, a written multiple-choice test and certificate of attendance with open Q&A at the end.